The Witches in Oz (Book 2 in The Witches Series)

Chapter 16 Not Wanted

The water was cold to the point where it burned my flesh, nipping and gnawing as I sunk deep below the waves until I was surrounded by tight schools of fish half as long as my body. I continued to sink down and down, and I suddenly began to panic. Drowning couldn't possibly be involved to two initiations and I didn't understand what was happening.

I attempted to swim back up to the pinprick of sunlight but was sucked down into complete darkness. My lungs burned as I felt around me, feeling nothing but empty ocean.

As I released the air in my lungs I was very suddenly propelled upward, gushing out over the waves from a guizer. I released a startled cry, my voice joined by Maxime, Margot and Ren as they too were spat out and into the air. My arms flailed on my way back down, the current sending us through a tunnel carved into the cliff face.

"Not so beautiful." Ren looked as shocked as I felt in front of me as we came to a stop at a pool in the centre of the mountain where kids were playing and swimming joyfully.

I shivered as Margot and Maxime helped Ren and I out of the water, newfound power singing in my veins like a shot of adrenaline.

"Weren't you all so graceful." Christina looked on the verge of laughing in our faces.

Drake, Olive, Rae and Bianca appeared in succession behind her from a doorway that must have had a staircase-I doubted they had elevators.

"The sun will be setting soon; you may eat with us tonight." She offered.

"That sounds great." I answered, accepting a towel from a young Witch with short sandy coloured hair and piercing golden eyes.

"Yeah, watching this has made me exhausted and therefore hungry." Drake rubbed his stomach in emphasis.

"I've never heard him say, therefore, before." Olive looked deeply disturbed.

"This whole experience has really grown me as a person." He proclaimed proudly.

I shook my head as we followed Christina away from the pool and back outside to where Witches and Warlocks were making their way to a building carved in rock on the other side of the river. We crossed a wooden bridge to reach it, filing inside to where food was being served at tables that looked half a mile long.

"They have really nice food here." Rae informed as we found some spare seats. "It's a very simple life and one connected with nature."

I regarded the loaves of bread, oatmeal and crushed insects. "A little bit like home."

"Very little." Ren eyed the insects warily.

"So, how has everyone been treating you here?" Bianca asked Rae.

"They've actually been really nice, Christina is a little intimidating, but she's gotten a little attached to Olive." She answered happily.

"How did that happen?" I turned to Olive, who was devouring a bowl of oatmeal.

Olive shrugged. "She thinks I have potential. I got a tour of the school out of it, so..." She answered nonchalantly.

"Would you want to stay here?" I pressed.

"Maybe one day." She admitted. "But I should probably ask mum and dad first."

"I don't think they'll go for it." Drake chimed in. "Pip mentioned she might want to stay, and they totally flipped out."

"Comforting." Olive remarked with sarcasm.

I was glad to see she hadn't lost her wit.

"Are you going to stay?" Bianca asked, Rae also turning to look at me attentively.